I recently purchased a 1971 Corvette that I thought was in a lot better shape. I am not a mechanic and do not know what I've gotten myself into. There is a lot of rust on the front and rear suspensions and I'm hearing a knocking sound in the rear. Also, when I put the car into Reverse or Drive it bumps. When I look under the car, all of the bushings, shocks, etc. are rusted including the brakes. I'm a little worried how much it will cost to get all of this replaced. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Sounds like an original car with close to 40 year parts still on it. You have 2 options:

Learn to work on the car yourself
Find a good anf trust worthly corvette mechanic

Depending where you live, the first option may be the best. The noise you hear sounds like the diff snubber bushing,which maybe rotted or eaten away from a leaking differential pinion seal leak. You really need to get the car in the air and look it over from front to back. Check a local vette club. I used to do tech classes for the club I was in for years, and would get a car on a lift for a walk through.

 

You should get it up on a lift and have someone take a good look at the undercarriage to find out what condition the car is really in. Fill out your profile so that members know where you live and maybe someone will come over to look at your car.

 

OK. Thank you very much for the info.

 

I will. I live in Charleston, SC. Thank you very much.

 

You can buy a complete 'snubber' set for about $25. You might try Rik's Corvette Parts in N.C. The other noise may just be old diffy fluid which needs to be changed out. You can buy a bottle of Posi-trac fluid at any Chevy dealership parts counter. A local lube outfit should be able to suction out the old fluid and put in new...along with the Posi fluid. Then take it to a parking lot and drive around slowly doing "S" turns to actuate the posi clutches. Worth a try. Your next step is to call some local car clubs and ask who they use for mechanical work. Small, privately owns shops are better and more affordable than the tire and car dealer repair shops.

 

Don't panic. The things you described are probably not major repairs. Could be simple fixes. The rust you see may just be cosmetic surface rust. Do a little poking around and see how deep it is. The clunking you hear when you put it in gear could be something as simple as adjusting the idle down a bit. As stated above, the rear end noise you're hearing is probably just a worn bushing or the differential oil needs changing, and posi-additive put in. Both are simple cheap fixes. My '77 made all kinds of clunking sounds in the rearend when I first brought it home. I had already priced new rearends, but decided to change the rearend oil and add the posi, just to see. No more clunking. If the body on your car is straight, motor runs smooth, transmission shifts good, and the paint is OK, everything else on these old cars is relatively minor. Good luck and don't get discouraged. There'll always be some little something to replace or repair, but the fun outweighs the aggravation.
KC

 

Well said...

 

Thank y'all so much for the replies and info! I won't get discouraged. The frame yet rusty (hopefully surface rust) seems straight, the motor and transmission both seem to run great and the paint looks great. Looking forward to many years of fun!

 

Hey dont get too discouraged yet, do like suggested and get that car up in the air where you can see something. A good tech can shake it down real good and see what kind of project you got on your hands. An independant locally owned shop is a good suggestion but dont rule out a shop because they sell tires. I own two Goodyear shops but 80% of our business is service repairs and maintenance of all types. Ask around if anyone knows a good mechanic that they have work on thier cars. If you take it in for something inexpensive that you need like a oil change or get the tires balanced, a good place wont mind going over it pretty good for you just as a curtesy if its allready up on the rack for something. Get you a laundry list of all your issues and you can get plenty of advise in here on what needs to be your priority and what can wait. What you can take care of and what you should have done. I just got my first vette this past thanksgiving on ebay and I have got so much help in here from a ton of good friendly people. Learn how to post pics though or you will catch some grief! Good luck!

 

that you probably have a lot of original parts on the car. All of the rubber bushings are possibly worn out and there could be a number of other items in need of replacement. Unfortunately your story is not that uncommon. C3 Vettes look so nice on the outside that inexperienced folks forget to look underneath. The most important thing is to have someone knowledgeable inspect the car for safety issues - brakes, suspension, frame rust. Look up a Corvette club in your area. There are probably plenty of folks who will help you evaluate the condition of the car.



Rick B.

 

I'll post some pics soon. Thank you all!

 

The first thing to come to mind was the amount of posts this very same subject gets. It appears many of us started out the same way by purchase a Vette in our price range and shortly after realize there's a lot of work to do. Our first reaction is "holy crap how do I fix this" but soon after, one problem at a time we became experts on our Vette's and an entirely new appreciation for them develops.

Corbetty 71, don't get discouraged. Once you pass the rust/frame and safety concerns I'd suggest making that perpetual to do list and enjoy your Vette.

 

Well put Crossfire, it seems there is always one more repair or upgrade to be done. I have cussed out Chevy more than once when trying to replace 30 year old parts. In the end, the finished product is something you can be proud of. My advice is: be patient, find one or two good service manuals, do what you can or are willing to tackle yourself, read any and all posts relating to your particular issue, ask questions and observe whenever you can.
I guess, I am too cheap and too distrusting when it comes to working on mine. At least when I do the repairs myself, I know it is done without cutting corners. Just my $.02.

Bob

 

the bumping sound could be a u joint... i would get it on a ramp and have a experience mech inspect it .... here in NL Canada we have to get an inspection before the car gets its license stickers before u drive it... once you know its mechanical safe to drive do research on the other issues .... start with the small repairs and after a while you well be telling others how to fix things... good luck ... life with a vette is a learning experience